COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENT LIABILITIES, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENT LIABILITIES, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENT LIABILITIES, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

18. COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENT LIABILITIES, RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The Company is a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. These instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate or liquidity risk in excess of the amount recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

Credit Extension Commitments

The Company’s exposure to credit loss from nonperformance by the other party to the financial instruments for commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amount of these instruments. The Company uses the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as it does for on-balance sheet instruments. Financial instruments, whose contract amounts represent credit risk at December 31, 2023 and 2022, are as follows (in thousands):

	2023		2022
Commitments to extend credit	$	546,006	$	437,449
Standby letters of credit		18,682		15,972
	$	564,688	$	453,421

Commitments to extend credit are legally binding agreements to lend to customers. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of fees. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future liquidity requirements. The Company evaluates each customer’s creditworthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained if deemed necessary by the Company on extension of credit is based on management’s credit assessment of the counter party.

Standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company to guarantee a financial agreement between a customer and a third party.  Performance letters of credit represent conditional commitments issued by the Bank to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party.  These instruments are issued primarily to support bid or performance related contracts.  The coverage period for these instruments is typically a one-year period with an annual renewal option subject to prior approval by management.  Fees earned from the issuance of these letters are recognized during the coverage period.  For secured letters of credit, the collateral is typically Bank deposit instruments or customer business assets.

The Company also offers limited overdraft protection as a non-contractual courtesy which is available to demand deposit accounts in good standing for business, personal or household use.  The non-contractual amount of financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk at December 31, 2023 was $13,121,000.  The Company reserves the right to discontinue this service without prior notice.

The allowance for credit losses for off-balance sheet commitments was $1,265,000 and $165,000 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Legal and Regulatory Proceedings

In the ordinary course of business, the Company is subject to legal proceedings, including claims, litigation, investigations and administrative proceedings, all of which are considered incidental to the normal conduct of business. Litigation may relate to lending, deposit and other customer relationships, vendor and contractual issues, employee matters, intellectual property matters, personal injuries and torts, regulatory and legal compliance, and other matters. The Company believes it has substantial defenses to the claims asserted against it in its currently outstanding legal proceedings and, with respect to such legal proceedings, intends to defend itself vigorously.

The Company assesses its liabilities and contingencies in connection with outstanding legal proceedings utilizing the latest information available. Where it is probable that the Company will incur a loss and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, the Company records a liability in its consolidated financial statements. These legal reserves may be increased or decreased to reflect any relevant developments. Where a loss is not probable or the amount of a probable loss is not reasonably estimable, the Company does not accrue legal reserves. Additionally, for those matters where a loss is reasonably possible and the amount of loss is reasonably estimable, the Company estimates the amount of losses that it could incur beyond the accrued legal reserves. Under U.S. GAAP, an event is “reasonably possible” if “the chance of the future event or events occurring is more than remote but less than likely” and an event is “remote” if “the chance of the future event or events occurring is slight.”

While the outcome of legal proceedings and the timing of the ultimate resolution are inherently difficult to predict, based on information currently available, advice of counsel and available insurance coverage, the Company believes that it has established adequate legal reserves. Further, based upon available information, the Company is of the opinion that these legal proceedings, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. However, in the event of unexpected future developments, it is reasonably possible that an adverse outcome in any of the matters discussed above could be material to the Company’s business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows for any particular reporting period of occurrence.